Newspaper vendors and distributors in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, commenced an indefinite strike following an alleged assault on their members by the Rivers State Government Task Force enforcing the government’s ban on illegal motor parks, street trading and illegal parking.
James Chinedu, a newspaper vendor at Rumuola Junction confirmed to theportcitynews that the vendors and distributors have stopped the collection of Newspapers that arrived at Port Harcourt on Thursday because of the harassment by task force officials.
He accused the task force officials of discharging their duties with impunity, adding that all efforts to make them have a rethink fell on deaf ears.
But a task Force official who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said that the mandate given to them by the state government were clear to all, adding that the vendor should approach the government for exemption.
Also, confirming the development, Chris Ali, the secretary of the associations said as part of the strike, they decided not to distribute nor sell newspapers, including Tide Newspaper owned by Rivers State.
Ali accused the special adviser to the Rivers State governor taskforce, Bright Amaewhule of deliberately refusing to pick telephone calls from the leadership of the association, adding that they will not call off the strike until the state government publicly issues a statement exempting newspaper vendors from harassments and intimidations by officials of the taskforce.
“He (Amaewhule) cannot claim that the issue has been resolved. I called him several times yesterday but he did not pick my calls. Those that the taskforce members said they told them that even if he (Amaewhule) calls, they will not release her.
“They have pushed us to a point that we are no longer going to say that the issue has been resolved. We want an open statement to the people of this state that we, the vendors are exempted from harassments by the taskforce. They must take the message to radio and television stations.
“The strike will continue tomorrow (Friday) and vendors have agreed that we will not take the Tide Newspaper and every other newspaper. Let the whole world hear us.”
Many newspapers’ stands our correspondent visited did not open as the strike went into full force.
